Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's History with WellChild Includes a Visit While Secretly Expecting Archie

Mar. 15, 2025

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at WellChild Awards in 2018.Photo: Victoria Jones/WPA Pool/Getty

Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryare returning to a cherished charity next week.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arereturning to Europenext week, where they’re set to attend the WellChild Awards on Sept. 8.Prince Harry, 37, has been a patron of the organization that works to support seriously ill children and their families since 2007, and Meghan, 41, joined him at the annual awards in2018and2019.

At the 2019 awards,Prince Harryand Meghan attended for the first time as parents themselves, having welcomed sonArchie Harrison, now 3, earlier that year. Harry revealed in his speech that they knew Meghan was pregnant during their visit the previous year (they had yet to publicly share their news), making their visit even more emotional.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at WellChild Awards in 2018.VICTORIA JONES/AFP via Getty

“Last year, when my wife and I attended, we knew we were expecting our first child — no one else did at the time, but we did — and I remember…” he said before his voice trailed off as tears welled up in his eyes.

The prince then put his head down and momentarily paused to collect himself as the crowd supportively applauded him.

“I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day,” he went on. “And more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time.”

“And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heartstrings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own,” Harry added.

Prince Harrycontinued to support WellChild from California after the family’s move in 2020. The Duke of Sussex made asurprise video callto representatives and some deserving kids from the organization in Dec. 2020.

“You know who you are and don’t pretend to be anybody else and because of that you inspire every single nurse, every single caregiver, every single mum, every single dad, every single sibling,” Harry told them on the call. “You inspire every single day.”

In June 2021, shortly after the birth of daughterLilibet Diana,Prince Harryattended the WellChild Awardsat a private garden party at Kew Gardens in London, where hecaught up with pal Ed Sheeranin addition to meeting with the recipients. To keep the event safe for attendees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were held outdoors.

“Since becoming patron of WellChild in 2007, this organisation and the people within it have held an extraordinarily special place in my heart,” he said in a statement. “I wasn’ta fatherat the time, and yet the stories of these children and parents transcended that. I didn’t need to be a dad to feel the impact of this invaluable work. Now as afather of two, I feel all the more connected, inspired and in awe of the resilience of these families, who power through indescribable challenges with the support of WellChild.”

He added, “The health of our children, of all of us, could not have been more on the forefront of our minds during the past year. And, throughout this time, the WellChild community has set an example for how to show up and act with compassion for each other. I could not be prouder to be here, to meet this year’s WellChild Award winners, to thank the nurses and doctors for all they do, and to celebrate these amazing families.”

Prince Harry at WellChild Awards in 2007.Pool/Anwar Hussein Collection/WireImage

In addition to the WellChild Awards,Prince Harryand Meghan will also visit other charities close to their hearts during their visit to the U.K. and Germany. On Monday, the couple will attend the One Young World Summit in Manchester. Meghan has a longstanding tie to One Young World and took part in the 2014 and 2016 summits as a counselor. In 2019, before she and Harry stepped back from their roles as working members of the royal family, sheattended the 2019 summitalongside Harry. Meghan, who thanked attendees for “letting him crash the party,” spoke in a roundtable discussion about gender equality.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards in 2019.TOBY MELVILLE/POOL/AFP/Getty

Prince Harry and Meghan were last in the U.K. in June to help celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. During their visit, they introduced their daughter Lilibet to the monarch and her grandfatherPrince Charlesfor the first time. Charles, 73, was said to be overjoyed — in what a source called an"emotional" visit— to also see his grandson Archie.

source: people.com